Latest news with #AlbertaUtilitiesCommission
Globe and Mail
7 days ago
- Business
- Globe and Mail
Alberta regulator orders ATCO to repay $71-million to customers
Alberta utilities and logistics firm ATCO Ltd. ACO-X-T has been ordered to refund $71-million to customers, the latest development in a long-running dispute between the company and the provincial watchdog over electricity rates. But this week's decision by the Alberta Utilities Commission is far from the end of the regulatory tussle. ATCO chief executive officer Nancy Southern told shareholders at the company's annual meeting recently that ATCO intends to challenge the commission over the issue in the Alberta Court of Appeal in October. At the heart of the case is the commission's electricity rate-setting formula, called performance-based regulation. The formula is designed to encourage efficiency by providing incentives for utility companies to reduce costs. The more efficiently a utility operates, the more money it saves. Those savings are then shared with customers through lower utility rates. ATCO Electric fined $3-million for unearned rate increases, overstating its costs ATCO delivered $500-million in distribution-cost savings, which is being passed on to customers. But the commission found that those savings could not be clearly attributed to specific utility projects, programs or initiatives, as required by the commission's rules. Instead, it said that much of ATCO's savings were the result of operational changes, such as its decision not to pursue certain capital projects. The commission's judgement has come in two phases. The first, released last May, ruled that ATCO's utility rates in 2021 or 2022 'were not just and reasonable.' ATCO was granted a court appeal on that decision. The $71-million refund announced this week is the second phase of the commission's process. It separated the refund into $35-million for ATCO Electric customers, and $36-million for customers of ATCO Gas. That equates to roughly $14 per month for ATCO Electric customers for a six-month period, and $3.83 per month for ATCO Gas customers. Paul Barry, the executive director of the Industrial Power Consumers Association of Alberta, said Thursday his group was hoping for closer to $100-million for just the ATCO Electric side of the decision. Still, he's pleased some cash will be returned to customers. 'We view it as a positive, and it is setting a precedent that's a clear example of the commission seeking to hold utilities accountable,' Mr. Barry said. At ATCO's general meeting, Ms. Southern applauded the commission for implementing performance-based regulation. But, she told shareholders, ATCO and the commission have a 'major difference of opinion' in the way that the rules are applied. 'We believe we were operating within the regulatory framework,' she said. Jason Sharpe, ATCO's chief operating officer, said that ATCO had in fact built more efficient operations and lowered its rates. He said ATCO believes the commission is applying rules of performance-based regulation retroactively, hence the court challenge. The refund is to be delivered to customers over six months, beginning in September, the commission ruled. That's particularly prickly timing for the company, Mr. Sharpe said, given it overlaps with the court challenge. Mr. Sharpe said multiple requests to defer the refund decision until after the case goes through the Court of Appeal were denied by the commission. 'In our opinion, this is a premature refund until it's gone through the full appeal process,' he said, adding that it could create confusion for customers if the court finds in ATCO's favour. The commission would not comment on Wednesday's decision, but this isn't the first time it has ruled against ATCO. In 2022, ATCO was penalized $31-million after it deliberately overpaid a First Nation group for work on a new transmission line in 2018, and then failed to disclose the reasons when it applied to be reimbursed by ratepayers for the extra cost. Mr. Sharpe pointed said the latest decision 'very different,' in that it is a refund, not a penalty, and boils down to different views on how rules are applied.
Calgary Herald
24-05-2025
- Business
- Calgary Herald
Opinion: Secrecy shrouds city's refusal to engage on Enmax power line
In a project that we have not been able to find an equivalent for in Calgary, Enmax has proposed running a high-voltage transmission line — with towers up to 10 storeys tall — down a northeast residential street. The Alberta Utilities Commission is holding a public hearing beginning May 26 to determine whether to approve Enmax's request to build the line above ground, or if it should be buried. Article content Article content Article content If Enmax gets its preferred overhead option, people living in the dozens of houses and hundreds of apartments, and those resting and recovering in the Fanning Centre, will see their view of 40 fully mature trees ripped from their streets and throughout the largest regional park in the area. Article content Article content For a one-time savings of $10 million, Enmax proposes to sterilize the area and put hundreds of millions of dollars in development at the North Hill Co-op, Ambassador Motor Inn, the city-owned Midfield Heights and several smaller developments along the line's route at risk. Article content More than 800 people have signed a petition led by the Winston Heights-Mountview Community Association, opposing the overhead lines. However, as neighbours rally, our Ward 4 councillor and city administration have been silent. Article content Why would the city, with so much to lose in revenue from the land they are about to sell, and those from whom they collect property taxes, not even offer an opinion? We have worked with the city for too long to believe that the public servants wouldn't be concerned with Enmax's proposal. Article content Article content And indeed they were, at one point. The city's parks department notified the AUC that it intended to participate in the hearing because it 'feels strongly that an aboveground alignment . . . will ultimately sterilize the public land.' They later, confusingly, withdrew this request to participate. Article content It turns out there's an unfortunate reason the city won't participate in the hearing, despite potentially losing millions from the sale of Midfield Heights lots and in future property taxes, and seeing their densification and tree canopy strategies abandoned. Article content In June 2024, council passed a confidential policy titled Regulatory Interventions and Municipally Owned Utilities (CD2024-0677). You can't read the details and neither can we, but we've had it confirmed by multiple city staffers and councillors that it forbids the city from offering an opinion during AUC proceedings that involve Enmax.
National Post
05-05-2025
- Business
- National Post
AltaLink Supports Alberta Government Transmission Policy Designed to Maintain Affordability for Electricity Ratepayers
Article content CALGARY, Alberta — AltaLink is supportive of ensuring reliable and affordable electricity for Albertans through the proposed Government of Alberta legislation. Bill 52, the Energy and Utilities Statutes Amendment Act, 2025, includes prioritizing the use of existing transmission infrastructure while capturing opportunities to reduce costs to ratepayers for the construction of new transmission lines when needed. Article content 'We support the Government of Alberta's changes to align transmission policy with today's electricity grid, including the implementation of solutions to optimize the existing system and maximize its value before building new transmission lines,' said Gary Hart, AltaLink President and Chief Executive Officer. 'The transmission system is the backbone of our economy. The updated direction sets a clear path for responsible transmission growth while prioritizing reliable and affordable service to our customers.' Article content By the end of 2025, AltaLink will be the only Alberta utility to keep its revenue requirement below the 2018 level of $904 million for seven consecutive years, excluding recovery costs incurred during Alberta's historic 2023 wildfire season and other adjustments as directed by the Alberta Utilities Commission. The company has strived to meet or beat inflation in its controllable operating costs to support affordability for customers. Article content 'We understand that rising costs of living have put pressure on households, farms and businesses throughout our province,' said Mr. Hart. 'Our commitment to carefully manage costs while improving our top quartile safety and reliability performance drives our continuous improvement culture, benefitting every Albertan.' Article content Today, AltaLink, L.P. announced net and comprehensive income of $80.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, compared to $82.6 million for the same quarter in 2024. Our net and comprehensive income for the three months ended March 31, 2025, decreased by $2.4 million compared to the same period in 2024. The decrease is primarily due to decreased revenue from a lower approved return on equity of 8.97% in 2025 versus 9.28% in 2024 and lower interest expense recovery. Article content For the three months ended March 31, 2025, our revenue from operations decreased by $13.2 million compared to the same period in 2024. The decrease is primarily due to lower revenue as a result of lower recovery of salvage expenses and lower equity returns on rate base. On June 19, 2024, the AUC approved the collection of costs of site preparation for capital replacement projects over the average useful lives of the related replacement assets effective January 1, 2024. Article content As a partnership, AltaLink, L.P. reports its net income before income taxes; therefore, its results are not directly comparable with net income reported by corporations that recognize income taxes in their financial statements. Article content AltaLink's full financial results and management's discussion and analysis can be found on AltaLink's website at or on SEDAR+ at Headquartered in Calgary, with offices in Edmonton, Red Deer and Lethbridge, AltaLink is Alberta's largest electricity transmission provider, with more than 13,400 kilometres of transmission lines and more than 310 substations. AltaLink is partnering with its customers to provide innovative solutions to meet the province's demand for reliable and affordable energy. Article content AltaLink's first quarter of 2025 results highlight ongoing focus on safety, reliability and customer satisfaction: Article content We achieved a customer satisfaction average score of 9.83 out of 10 compared to 9.66 for the same quarter in 2024. We had zero employee injuries matching our performance for the same quarter in 2024. Our customer average outage duration increased to two minutes compared to one minute for the same quarter in 2024. This increase was primarily due to an equipment malfunction at a remote site. On March 5, 2025, the AUC issued a permit and licence to proceed with AltaLink's 799L Transmission Line Rebuild project. This project includes the rebuild of a 62-kilometre portion of the 138-kilovolt transmission line that spans across Woodlands, Lac St. Anne, Yellowhead, and Parkland Counties. The current forecasted investment in the project is $43.3 million. On March 27, 2025, we borrowed $37.6 million from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, with a maturity date of June 30, 2056, to fund the Central East Transfer-Out project. The fixed 31-year interest rate of 2.17% is approximately 227 basis points lower than a conventional 30-year AltaLink bond offering. As a result, AltaLink customers will receive estimated interest rate savings of approximately $60 million related to financing of the Central East Transfer-Out project over the life of the long-term debt. On March 28, 2025, we energized a reconfigured 610L transmission line, which is part of the Vauxhall Area Transmission Development project. The other part of this project was completed in November 2024 with the energization of our 879L transmission line. Reclamation work continues and the project will be completed in the second quarter of 2025. The current forecasted investment in the project is $23.3 million. On May 1, 2025, S&P reaffirmed its issuer credit rating and senior secured rating on AltaLink at 'A-' with a stable outlook. An 'A-' rating allows us to keep debt financing costs low for our customers. We earned net and comprehensive income of $80.2 million compared to $82.6 million for the same quarter in 2024. Our income decreased mainly due to decreased revenue from a lower approved return on equity of 8.97% in 2025 versus 9.28% in 2024 and lower interest expense recovery. We invested $103.6 million in capital assets compared to $69.6 million for the same quarter in 2024 to ensure continued electric transmission system safety and reliability, and to connect customers. Article content This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy AltaLink's securities in any jurisdiction, including but not limited to, the United States. AltaLink's securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'U.S. Securities Act'), or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States except in certain transactions exempt from the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. Article content Except for the historical and present factual information contained herein, the matters set forth in this news release, including words such as 'expects', 'intends', 'projects', 'plans', 'anticipates', and similar expressions, are forward looking information that represents management of AltaLink's internal projections, expectations or beliefs concerning, among other things, future operating results and various components thereof or the economic performance of AltaLink. The projections, estimates and beliefs contained in such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause AltaLink's actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, those described in AltaLink's filings with the Canadian securities authorities. Accordingly, holders of AltaLink securities and potential investors are cautioned that events or circumstances could cause results to differ materially from those predicted. AltaLink disclaims any responsibility to update these forward-looking statements. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For more information please contact: Article content Investor Relations Chris Lomore Vice President, Treasurer AltaLink Management Ltd. Phone: 403.828.1521 E-mail: Article content Article content Article content
CBC
26-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Utilities commission greenlights 42,000-panel solar farm near Killam, Alta.
A new 42,000-panel solar farm in central Alberta is going ahead after approval by the Alberta Utilities Commission. The farm is set to be built by PACE Canada Development LP just north of Killam, Alta., about 170 kilometres southeast of Edmonton. It's an example of how the solar industry in the province continues to grow, even after a seven-month moratorium on renewable energy projects was announced by the provincial government in August 2023. Known as the Generation Approvals Pause Regulation, the moratorium delayed the in-service dates of 42 projects by an average of 15 months, according to the clean energy think-tank Pembina Institute. Dealing with the changing regulations and the changing minds of the government hasn't made this an easy path, says Claude Mindorff, director of strategy for PACE. "It's been a struggle, you know, with the government of Alberta's hiatus on renewable development," he said. "But truth be told with our developments, all of the things that the AUC was asking for in recent changes have been things that we are already doing. We already were practitioners of agrivoltaics. We already had a reclamation clause in our lease. We already consulted with the municipality." Agrivoltaics is a field that aims to combine solar energy production with agricultural activities, and an area the provincial government has focused on. The province recently announced new rules for wind and solar energy projects, which stem from Premier Danielle Smith's announcement around a year ago that Alberta would take an "agriculture first" approach toward renewable energy development, following the moratorium from 2023. The rules prevent installations from being built on prime agricultural land unless developers can prove the project can co-exist with livestock and crops. Mindorff said building solar farms outside or further away from urban areas is a rather Canadian approach to building solar farms. Building near cities and towns is something you see more of in Europe or the United States, Mindorff said. "With the pushback on the use of agricultural lands, our strategy has been a good one," he said. "Because this is one of the things that the [ministry of] environment and protected areas is looking to see already disturbed lands or lands that are destined for more intensive development used for solar rather than solely putting them on farmland." Only part of the solar project will be located on agricultural land — used for both annual crops and grazing cattle. There are also several water bodies on the land, something that Mindorff said PACE wants to leave untouched. The AUC decision report states that PACE showed that the project can co-exist well with the agricultural use of the land. PACE has committed to a rotational grazing system plus space for annual crops. Because of the project's presence on designated agricultural land, the AUC could have decided to impose reporting conditions on the project, but it decided against it, "primarily because the project will be sited on land that was previously earmarked for non-agricultural uses." For Killam's mayor, the 42,000-panel project is a big change for a relatively small place. Rick Krys has lived in the area for nearly 40 years, has been on council for half that time, and has been the mayor for about a year. "Do I think it's a bad thing? No. Do I think it's a great thing? No," Krys said in an interview. "I mean, in all honesty, it's kind of the way our world is going." Krys said his biggest concern is how the project will look. "It's not in the town but it's across the town and you do see it every time you drive in," he said. One of the requests made by the town to the company is that the site be kept clean, weed-free and deals with dust. Krys said the consultation process with PACE went well. The company held three meetings in the town, where residents had the chance to voice any concerns they had. Once the AUC approves a project, the town is compelled to make it happen. Krys said he thinks residents might start to have more questions once the panels start coming in. "You're' definitely going to have people that probably didn't voice their opinion [before]," he said. "But really honestly, I think we've done our due diligence and we've done what we can as far as the Town of Killam goes to make sure that we're taking care of our residents."
